The National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1989

Amendment of terms of service

2.—(1) Schedule 1 to the National Health Service (General Ophthalmic Services) Regulations 1986(1) (terms of service) is amended according to the following provisions of this regulation.

(2) In paragraph 10 (testing of sight)—

(a) for sub-paragraphs (1) to (3) there are substituted the following sub-paragraphs—

“(1) A contractor shall, having accepted pursuant to the regulations an application for the testing of sight, test the sight of a patient to determine whether the patient needs to wear or use an optical appliance, and on so doing shall fulfil any duty imposed on him by, or in Regulations made under, Section 20B of the Opticians Act 1958(2).

(2) Where a contractor is of the opinion that a patient whose sight he has tested pursuant to sub-paragraph (1)—

(a) shows on examination signs of injury, disease or abnormality in the eye or elsewhere which may require medical treatment; or

(b) is not likely to attain a satisfactory standard of vision notwithstanding the application of corrective lenses,

he shall so inform the patient’s doctor.

(3) Where a contractor tests the sight of a patient diagnosed as suffering from diabetes or glaucoma he shall inform the patient’s doctor of the results of the test.”;

(b) in sub-paragraph (4) for “issued pursuant to sub-paragraph (3)” there is substituted “for glasses issued following a testing of sight under general ophthalmic services”.

(1)

S.I. 1986/975, amended by S.I. 1988/486 and 1989/395.

(2)

1958 c. 32; section 20B was inserted by section 14 of the Health and Medicines Act 1988 (c. 49); see S.I. 1989/1176.